‘Matrix 4’ Looks Great. But Where Are Keanu’s Sunglasses?

We have a title. And we have a trailer! The Matrix: Resurrections is the official title of what was previously referred to as The Matrix 4, and an awesome full trailer – clocking in at nearly three minutes – dropped on Thursday morning. It’s got everything you’d expect… well, not quite everything, but close.

The trailer opens with Thomas Anderson/Neo (Keanu Reeves) chatting with his therapist (Neil Patrick Harris) and wondering, “Am I crazy?” after experiencing dreams that are far more than just dreams. The therapist replies, “We don’t use that word in here.” Cue a spot-on song, Jefferson Airplane’s “White Rabbit” (with its lyrics about pills making you larger or small, and references to Alice). Then cut to two minutes of action (bullet time, wall walking, gravity-defying hand-to-hand combat, wild motorcycle and train sequences, multiples of characters, numerous explosions, and plenty of cascading shimmering green code), teases (pods, umbilicals, LOTS of blue pills, a black cat, Thomas reaching for a red pill, and a character who appears to be a younger Morpheus, played by Yahya Abdul-Mateen II ), and brief quiet moments (Thomas taking a bath, with a rubber duckie on his head, and shedding a tear; Neo and Trinity shaking hands, with Trinity asking, “Have we met?”). And it all ends with a sly bit of irony, as Neo (again sitting in an office) listens to a new character, played by franchise newcomer Jonathan Groff, intone, “After all these years… to be going back to where it all started… back to the Matrix.”

So what’s missing? Not to throw shade, but what’s a Matrix movie without Neo sporting shades? That’s his signature look. We’ve watched the trailer repeatedly and on our big TV. We’ve paused images. And for the life of us, we can’t find a shot of Neo wearing sunglasses. Maybe it’s a story point?

The Matrix: Resurrections is written and directed by Lana Wachowski, who co-directed and co-wrote The Matrix, The Matrix Reloaded, and The Matrix Revolutions with her sister Lilly. Warner Bros. will release the film on December 22 in theaters and on its streaming platform, HBO Max.